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Featured in Boston Weddings Magazine!

We feel so lucky and privledged to be able to be a part of Boston Weddings Magaine’s “Ask the Experts” in the latest issue of Boston Weddings! We also feel lucky to be featured next to our very fav vendor friends Tom + Melissa Dowler of Long Haul Films.

In the article, Stacey gives invaluable advice to the many brides that the magazine reaches. She touches on everything from upcoming trends to how to prepare for your appointment with us (for example, it’s not really necessary to being 10 people with you to your appointment….just sayin’). She provides a truly great overview of where bridal gowns and bridesmaids’ dresses are at these days (we’ve come a long way baby!) and even shares some personal stories from her own wedding planning experience.

It truly is a must read for all brides out there, so be sure to pick up a copy while they last!

Make sure you also check out Leah Haydock’s featured photo in the mag and our brand new ad!! Thanks so much Leah!

XOXO

Lindsay

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Bridal Trunk Show December 7th-9th!

Photo By: Kate McElwee Photography | Flowers By: Blooms of Hope

December is a magical time of year in Boston. I know what you’re thinking, it’s freezing cold outside and it gets dark at 4:30, what’s so magical about that? I agree; I’m not thrilled about all of that, but for some reason it’s OK in December because it’s helping to set the mood for the holidays. More darkness means more time to view the lovely twinkly lights on Comm Ave. Cold? Snuggle up with your honey and watch “A Charlie Brown Christmas” (or sub in your favorite holiday movie…that just happens to be mine).

December is also magical because of Flair’s upcoming bridal trunk show (duh, you knew we’d bring it back to Flair somehow)! The weekend of December 7^th-9th, we’ll have extra bridal gowns in the store and will be offering extra discounts for placing a bridal gown order that weekend. It’s the most wonderful time of the year! So, if you’re getting bored of buying gifts for others, treat yourself to the gift of a fabulous bridal gown at a fabulous price!

Call or email us to make an appointment ASAP, these will go quickly!! Hope to see you soon!

Keep Warm 😉

Linds + Stace

in Amy Kuschel Bridal / Boston Bridal / Boston Bridal gowns / Boston Weddings / Bridal Sales / Coren Moore Bridal Gowns / Theia Bridal / Trunk Show / Wedding Dress Sale 0 comments

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To Market We Go: 2012 Edition!

Sorry this blog is coming about a week late Stacey and I have been exhausted from all our travel and excitement! Two weeks ago we traveled to NYC for bridal market to check out the newest styles from our designers. Yes you read that right, we worked ALL weekend. We went to fashion shows and chatted with our fabulous designers/friends and shopped on 5^th Avenue. It…was…awful.

JK, it was amazing!! It’s seriously one of our favorite weekends of the year, for two reasons. 1) We LOVE our designers and this is the one time a year we get to see them in person. Yes, it’s fun to see their new dresses, but it is equally fun just catching up with them. 2) We LOVE our brides/bridesmaids and we literally cannot wait to show you the new dresses, you’re going to be obsessed with them! While we don’t want to give away TOO much (the new samples will not be here until after the New Year), here are some fresh, new trends we saw for the upcoming season!

1) Straps on bridal gowns: The time has come ladies. We’ve been asking for more strapped bridal gowns for years and this is the first year where we really saw a good amount in the new collections. V-necks, cap sleeves, and halters, oh my!

2) Printed bridesmaids’ dresses: We are sosososo excited for this one. Doing a print on a bridesmaid’s dress is so fresh and modern, and makes for really unique and special photos. Not ready to come around to something so outside the box? Think one print, one textured fabric and one solid, all in the same color way. Google Molly Sims’ bridal party and that’ll give you a gorgeous example. Not all of the bridesmaids need to be in the pattern, but it’s a great accent to solid dresses’. VERY fun!

3) Sherbet: First things first, is it sherbet or sherbert? I always thought it was sherbert but the computer disagrees; the red squiggly line underneath – indicating a misspelling – is really bugging me, so I’ll say sherbet from here on out. Anywaysssssss sherbet colors are going to be HUGE! We saw pale colors take the front seat this year (think blush and champagne) but cool greens and flattering oranges may just steal their spots next year. Stay tuned to see them in person!

4) Tea length bridal gowns: This trend has been slowly creeping up on us. The past few years we have seen 1 or 2 at market but this year it EXPLODED. Every designer had some shorter options, but have no fear, they are still totally bridal looking! Plus, this is a great way to get a gorgeous dress at a lower price AND you don’t have to worry about bustling a train (definitely nice for outdoor weddings).

I could go on and on, we saw SO many amazing dresses! Stay tuned in early 2013 to see them in person!

Lindsay and Stacey

in Amy Kuschel Bridal / Anna Elyse / BM Boston / BM Dresses Boston / Boston / Boston Bridal / Boston Bridal gowns / Boston Bridesmaids / Boston Fashion / Dress color / Fall Weddings / Jenny Yoo / Shopping in Boston / Winter Weddings 0 comments

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Bridal Spotlight-A Very Flair Wedding!

What was your inspiration for your wedding?

Um, this is probably a faux pas especially since I am in the bridal industry but we had no inspiration for our wedding…I know that sounds bad. We were just really excited to be celebrating and I look at wedding blogs daily so I took little things I liked from the past two years of blog stalking and threw them together!

How did you tie that inspiration in to what you choose for your bridesmaid dresses/bridal gown?

I guess if I had to say anything about the wedding style, I wanted it to be pretty timeless. I wanted neutral colors on the girls and dresses that complimented each of the girl’s figures and made them feel great. For my bridal gown I wanted something I would always look back on and think that I picked something that was my style and was classic like our venue!

What did you choose?

My bridal gown was a custom Coren Moore gown. They made the Chloe with lace and made the front a deeper sweetheart and the back was brought down just slightly. I added a customized gorgeous belt from A.B. Ellie! She did an amazing job customizing The Mae belt for me by adding pearls and tons of extra beads to make sure the belt looked like it was a part of my dress!

My girls wore Jenny Yoo bridesmaid dresses most of which are now discontinued. My maid of honor Carly wore the Thea, my sister Allison wore the Margauex, my sister-in-law Ali wore the Riley, Casey wore the Mackenzie, and Lily wore the fabulous Aidan! The bridesmaids all wore some awesome accessories that I found a few years ago and since then, I have forgotten who made them – oops! However, I do know that my maid of honor’s necklace was made by the talented Kristen Kuhen.

What color?

I actually did mostly different colors! Carly and Casey were in Slate Eastern Silk, Allison was in Slate Crinkle Chiffon, Lily was in Charcoal Lux Chiffon, and Ali was in Pewter Shantung.

What were you looking for in your bridesmaid dresses?

I was really open to whatever the girls wanted. I guided them in the direction that I liked and then let them choose.

What were you looking for in your bridal gown?

I actually looked all over for my bridal gown. I knew I liked lace and I wanted a fitted style but I was hung-up on a ball gown for some reason. I kept begging to try on ball gowns even though I was advised against it by everyone (including Lindsay)! I finally realized I was just too short to be able to pull off the big dress, so I settled for a fuller trumpet silhouette. Coren’s dress was perfect because when I danced I felt like such a princess with the full skirt!

Tips for brides when selecting their BM dresses? Bridal Gowns?

Timing is everything! There is a method to our madness, I promise. You have to do things in order for your look to be cohesive. Your venue is 1^st, then move on to your bridal gown, then work on the girls’ dresses and mothers of the bride and groom. Last but not least help your significant others pick their outfits!

How was your experience at Flair?

Well I own the store….so it was pretty good! 😉

Where did you get married??

Zak and I got married at The Harvard Club on Commonwealth Ave. I can’t say enough about how much I love this venue! It was such a gorgeous and unique venue in the city, so traditional and cozy. Zak wants to move in he loves it that much!

What three adjectives would best describe your wedding?

Funny, Elegant, and Light Hearted!

What was your favorite moment at the wedding?

The entire ceremony! I LOVED walking down the aisle because I thought it was so exciting and emotional all at once. Our ceremony was very “us” we had a family friend marry us so he really knew that we wanted it to be a celebration of life and love. We also wrote our own vows which was nerve racking but in the end it really made our wedding so much fun and personal!

What advice can you give any other Boston/New England Bride?

Write your own vows, hire the best vendors, don’t sweat the small stuff, have fun, dance, eat, don’t drink, take tons of pictures, do a first look if you can, hire a videographer (we remembered nothing after), make sure to leave plenty of time for hair and makeup, take a ton of pictures, smell your flowers, enjoy every single moment and most of all have fun!

Where did you go on your honeymoon?

We went to Couples Swept Away, in Negril Jamaica, thanks to the amazing Marisa Cole at Sensational Travel.

List of vendors

Photographer: Sweet Jane Photography-Sarah is simply amazing, so much fun to work with and uber talented.

Videographer: Long Haul Films-Tom and Melissa truly made our dreams come true. Their talent knows no bounds they went above and beyond all that we expected, so worth spending the money on video!

Florist: Petalena– Apryl is so wonderful to work with and absolutely surprised and amazed me with the beautiful flowers, I was so so happy!

Hair: Bella Hair Salon-Jessica and Becca are my regular hair dressers and it was so nice that they cared so much about making me and my girls happy it was such a pleasure spending my morning with them and my bridal party!

Makeup: 2 Kiss and Makeup– Lissa, can’t say enough wonderful things about her! Fast, efficient and talented. She truly made me and my girls feel so beautiful!

Venue: The Harvard Club-Tom was amazing and so helpful through the whole process; the day went off without a hitch, super thankful.

DJ: Beat Train Productions-Ari was so great at mixing old favorites with new amazing club mixes no one left the dance floor!

Party Favor/Photobooth: Photo Fun Box-Marissa was amazing to work with and all our guests loved the photo booth it was so so fun!

Rentals: Rentals Unlimited: Kate at Rentals was so helpful helping me pick the perfect chairs to complete the perfect look for my venue.

Bridal Gown: Flair- Coren Moore-Amazing wonderful and accommodating!! What more can I say I love them!

Bridesmaid Dresses: Flair- Jenny Yoo-Elegant and beautiful dresses for my girls, I was so happy!

Invitations: Boston Invites-Shara was so helpful picking out an invite that matched our venue and wedding!

Enjoy our 5 minute wedding trailer via the talented Long Haul Films!

Stacey & Zak Trailer- Harvard Club Boston Wedding from Long Haul Films on Vimeo.

I feel so lucky to have the job I have, and I am so happy I was able to share my big day with you!!

XOXO

Mrs. Stacey Kraft (finally)

Want us to shine a spotlight on you and your wedding?

E-mail us!

boston@flairbridesmaid.com

in Advice from Flair / BM Dresses Boston / Boston BM dresses / Boston Bridal / Boston Bridal gowns / Boston Fashion / Boston Flair / Boston Weddings / Bridal Gowns / Bridal/Bridemaid Spotlight / Coren Moore / Coren Moore Bridal Gowns / Jenny Yoo / Stuff We Love / Stylish weddings / Uncategorized 3 comments

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Theia….now at Flair!

Here at Flair, we pride ourselves on providing our brides and bridesmaids with the “Newbury Street experience” but without the “Newbury Street price tag.” We firmly believe that every bride and bridesmaid deserves a high quality, gorgeous garment and stellar service, no matter what their budget is!

So, when it comes to the dresses we carry in the store, we spend hours researching designers who have that same philosophy. Then, once we zero in on a Flair approved designer we spend several more hours going over their dresses and choosing just the right ones for our brides. It’s fun work, but definitely a long process. So, you can imagine why we are SO excited to welcome a new designer to our family: Theia bridal!

We love Theia for so many reasons but here are just a few:

1) Quick lead time – We can get most of Theia’s bridal gowns here in a matter of weeks, not months, which is UNHEARD of in the bridal world! So, planning a wedding quickly? No problem! You can get a gorgeous Theia gown without a rush fee!

2) MAJOR style variety – We had a hard time choosing samples for the store, there were just SO many dresses that we felt would be perfect for Flair. In the end, we chose some lace, some chiffon, some strapless and some strapped; truly something for everyone! Plus in the coming weeks we’re getting a gown in their “petal” fabric. We’d never seen anything like it, and are SO excited to show all of you as soon as it arrives!

3) Crazy prices – We had to triple check their prices, they just seemed too good to be true! None of the styles we picked up are over $2000, and many are under $1000. YES, you read that correctly, and trust us, the styles look like they are worth WAY more. With Theia you’re really going to get the most out of your budget, which we LOVE!

Soooooo gorgeous!!

Most of our samples came in today (and if you’re wondering, yes, we tried them all on!) so, do us a favor and make an appointment to come in and see them (as well as our other gorgeous gowns) because we are literally dying to try them on you.

617.247.2828

Happy Fall, we look forward to seeing all of you soon!!

XOXO

Linds & Stace

in appointments / Boston / Boston Bridal / Boston Bridal gowns / Boston Fashion / Boston Flair / Boston Weddings / Bridal Gowns / Brides Boston / News Flash / Shopping in Boston / Theia Bridal / Tips from Pros 0 comments

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Jumping for Joy in July over Jenny Yoo!

Well, summer is in full swing here at Flair and we are so excited to share with you some amazing July Promotions!

See what all the fuss is about and book your appointment to come in for some one on one attention and get some great deals on Jenny Yoo’s bridal and bridesmaid collection!

What are you waiting for…..call us!

617.247.2828

XOXO

Linds & Stace

in Best Bridesmaids dresses / Boston BM dresses / Boston Brdesmaids dresses / Boston Bridal / Boston Bridal gowns / Boston Bridesmaids / Boston Fashion / Bridal Gowns / Bridal Sales / Jenny Yoo 0 comments

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The Met Gala!

We’ve been in a bit of a depression since red carpet season ended. Thank God E!’s Fashion Police is now on once a week though, which helps ease the pain a little. Then, along comes the Met Gala to really draw us out of our funk! The Met Gala is great because it’s a little more “anything goes” than the award shows, with some gorgeous results and some disastrous. A quick poll of the Flair girls’ favorites:

Lindsay: Christina Ricci in Thakoon

Stacey: Dianna Agron in Carolina Herrera

Joy: Diane Kruger in Prada

We have very different tastes, right? All the better to serve our brides of various tastes!

While drooling over the gorgeous (and some not so gorgeous) gowns, we noticed trends that carry over to some of our Flair gowns (you knew we’d tie this back to Flair somehow, right?).

1) Deep V necks – This neckline is super flattering and elongating, perfect for girls looking to add a little length/height to their look (like our Glee girl Lea Michele, who wore a gorgeous navy DVF gown with a plunging V). See our Rita gown by Amy Kuschel for a stunning example of this look.

2) Lace – Duh. Obviously lace is a huge trend in bridal, but we’re seeing it also become a trend on the red carpet. Some of the looks were a little more daring (see Rooney Mara in Givenchy) but still, there’s always something classic and romantic about lace. Coren Moore’s Reese gown is a great example; her lace is to die for!

3) Peplum skirts: I must admit, I am a HUGE peplum fan! What girl doesn’t want a little extra material to cover her midsection, but in a cute way?! It’s genius! Solange Knowles (whose attire I am not usually a fan of) really did it right with her yellow peplum gown by Rachel Roy (plus yellow is a huge color this season). As for Flair, Coren Moore’s Lauren bridesmaid’s dress has an adorable, asymmetrical peplum skirt and Alfred Sung is also coming out with a peplum skirt (coming soon to Flair!).

So basically what we’re saying is that Flair is really on trend with what’s hot this season, like you didn’t already know that! So come see us soon and we’ll help all of you brides and maids look red carpet ready too!

XOXO

Your fashionable friends at Flair

Lindsay, Stacey & Joy

in Advice from Flair / BM Boston / Boston BM dresses / Boston Bridal / Boston Bridal gowns / Boston Bridesmaids / Boston Fashion 0 comments

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Welcome to Flair!

Check out the newest additions to Flair!! We are so excited to have these beautiful gowns in the store. Make an appointment to come and try on these beauties!!

617.247.2828

Amy Kushel’s “Love Story”

Amy Kuschel’s “Lace Shrug”

Amy Kuschel’s “Rita”

Don’t forget about our Bridal Trunk Show this weekend 10% off all bridal gowns and 25% off all accessories!

XOXO

Lindsay & Stacey

in appointments / Boston Bridal / Boston Bridal gowns / Boston Fashion / Boston Flair / Boston Weddings / Bridal Gowns / Brides Boston / Events / News Flash / Stylish weddings / Winter Weddings 0 comments

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Making and having a successful bridal/bridesmaid appointments!

Congratulations, your true love has finally popped the question and you said “YES”! First things first, pick a date and a venue!! Now onto fashion…..what will you wear and what will you choose for your bridal party!

We realize this an extremely exciting time in your life and believe us we are so excited for you and cannot wait to hear about all of your plans and ideas! Here are a few helpful hints before you come in for an appointment to keep in mind!

1. Book your appointment at least 2 weeks in advance!

If you have friends flying in from far off lands, you usually know pretty far in advance……so, as soon as you know, call us! 617.247.2828 We hate turning you away when you have your close friends in town but we are a small store and we need more than 2 days’ notice to book you an appointment especially for a late night or weekend!

2. Come in with some sort of vision!!

Lucky for us, we live in a society that is overloaded with information….sometimes completely over the top at all times. We have so many ways to find inspiration Pinterest, Bridal Magazines, Blogs, Facebook stalking(we know you do it!), and wedding planners! The problems arise when you come in and give your girls free reign of the entire store and don’t pick any kind of direction. You are just setting yourself up for disaster and a very disappointing appointment. Your friends do want to please you and help make your day as wonderful as possible so take this opportunity to at least give them a direction to go in!

3. Bring a select group of friends and family!

If you have been to Flair then you know that we are on the smaller side. If you haven’t, now you know! We are a small store..…you are probably thinking what does that mean for me? Well, it means bringing the entire bridal party or every aunt and cousin you have doesn’t not really work here! Unfortunately we are a small store and we only have two fitting rooms. On Saturday’s we double book so your large groups will be limited to one fitting room. So, our suggestion would be to pick your most trusted friends and family to come in and help you with your bridal gown or bridesmaid dress process. You do want some people to be surprised when they show up at the wedding right?

4. If you made an appointment, keep your appointment or cancel it!

So, you called ahead of time to make a special appointment to come in and look at bridal gowns or bridesmaid dresses! Congrats you were able to schedule the best possible time for you and your friends and your special appointment time rolls around……..and we are patiently waiting for you to arrive to show you all the beautiful gowns/dresses we have when……..we realize you are not coming.

Although I would like to say this happens hardly ever, that is not the case. Not only does this hurt us as a small business, it hurts our other customers that are on our waitlist hoping for a time to be able to get in and check out bridal gown or bridesmaid dresses with friends and family. So, if you can’t make it that is fine, just let us know so that we can fill in your time slot with the girls who can make it and are calling us non-stop to see if someone has cancelled.

So, now that you have all our pointers make plans with your girls, call early and get in here!! We are dying to hear about your wedding!!

XOXO

Stacey & Lindsay

Up Coming Events at Flair

March 9th-11th: Jenny Yoo Trunk Show

March 16th-17th: Coren Moore Trunk Show

March 23rd-25th: Anna Elyse Trunk Show/Bridal Trunk Show

in Advice from Flair / appointments / Best Bridesmaids dresses / BM Boston / Boston / Boston BM dresses / Boston Brdesmaids dresses / Boston Bridal / Boston Bridal gowns / Boston Bridesmaids / Boston Fashion / Boston Flair / Bridal Gowns / Brides Boston / Bridesmaids / Bridesmaids dresses / Fall Weddings / Good Times / Success Story 0 comments

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Gown Preservation…..with love from Joy

The most exciting day in every girl’s life is the day that they get to stroll down the aisle with the man they love most. However, after all of the festivities have come to an end there is one important detail that most brides fail to remember: preserving their gorgeous gown. It might seem simple enough to toss your dress on a hanger, throw it on the closet, and move along with your day. However ladies, this may be the worst decision you could make. So, the ladies of Flair decided to save you the research, and gathered some simple rules for storing your dress properly.

Clearly it would be detrimental for your gown to be cleaned in the washing machine, so your first step should be to take a trip to a trusted dry cleaner. A professional should look over your dress with you when you drop it off, in order to point out any specific stains or damages. If the clerk feels as though they can not properly clean your gown, then they should tell you. In this instance you should call a local conservator. After the dry clean is complete, if your gown is hung then immediately take it off of the hanger. Also if it is wrapped in the notorious blue dry cleaner tissue paper, take it out right away as this can cause discoloration.

Once your gown is all shiny and new again, there are a few simple rules to follow. The first thing you should do is order a preserving box and tissue paper which must both be un-buffered and acid free. This is because the chemicals that go into regular boxes and tissue do not react well with the chemicals in fabric, and therefore will eventually become extremely damaging. You can purchase preserving materials easily at Foster-Stephens.com. Another storage no-no is the cedar trunk, although this may seem like a logical place to keep your gown, its not. Cedar gives off gases as time progresses that will essentially eat away at your lovely fabric.

When your packing materials come in, you should store it as soon as possible. Ideally you will fold your gown in three ways. In between each fold you should place a piece of the non-acidic tissue paper, in order to avoid permanent fold creases or fabric fractures. You should then place the folded dress in the box with tissue underneath and on top. An important detail to remember is not to include plastic in the packing process, as it easily collects humidity and will leave stains and/or rust marks from any metal detail. Make sure to seal the box extremely well on the outside, using tape if necessary. An ideal place to store the box is in a cool and dry place, in which you clean often. Attics and basements are not a great idea, as they are often extreme in temperatures and tend to be very damp/dry.

You should repeat all of these steps about every two years, as the conservation materials always need to be refreshed. Although this process may seem tedious, trust us, its not that bad! It is totally worth it to take the steps, and be able to cherish it forever. Just think, your daughter may wish to wear your fabulous gown someday!

Preserve on!

Joy

aka “#1 intern at Flair”

in Advice from Flair / Boston Bridal / Boston Bridal gowns / Boston Fashion / Boston Weddings / Bridal Gowns / Brides Boston / Going green / Tips / Tips from Pros 0 comments